Alphabet Soup
by WildheartTheWarrior
Summary: Follows the story of Lilykit, a young half-kittypet kit on her journey to become a warrior. For the Warriors Challenge Forum.


**A/N: This is for the Alphabet Soup Challenge on the Warriors Challenge Forum. Enjoy!**

~000~

A—Aware

The tiny kit was aware that someone was carrying her through the blizzard. Yellow eyes blinked against the stinging snowflakes that blew into her eyes and coated her pale tortoiseshell pelt. "Mama?" she called above the howling wind. "Where are we going?" Her mother didn't answer, but set her down on the frost-covered ground, the bell on her collar jingling slightly. "Now, you be good for your father, okay?" the white queen meowed, gently licking her kit between the ears. The tortoiseshell kit was confused, but before she could voice her questions aloud, a huge golden tom padded seemingly out of nothing and lifted her in his jaws. As she was carried away, she was aware of her mother's figure growing distant among the swirling clouds of snow. What she wasn't aware of was that this was the last time she would see her mother alive.

B—Big

Lilykit liked her new home. There was lots of space for her to run around and play, and lots of new cats to play with. But most of all, there was her father. Yellowstripe was always in the nursery to check on her, always there to say hello and talk to her. And he would always play with her whenever she wanted. She would pounce on his tail, and he would gently bat her away with his huge paws. "Daddy, you're so big!" she chirped. Her father just laughed and licked her head. As father and daughter played, all Lilykit could think about was how she wanted to be a big, brave warrior like him.

C—Can't

"You can't do it!" Redkit taunted. "You can't climb a stupid tree!" Lilykit growled fiercely, her fluffy kit-fur puffing up in indignance. Then, turning, she sank her claws into the rough bark. Ignoring the russet tom's taunts, she slowly scaled her way up. Higher and higher she climbed, until she had reached the very top branch of the short pine. Smirking down at the dumbstruck Redkit, she skittered back down the pine and landed on the ground with a thud. "Don't you ever tell me what I can't do," she growled before turning away and strutting back to the nursery with her tail held high.

D—Dirty

Lilykit squirmed in Owlfeather's grip, trying to wriggle out from between her paws and whining about her bath. The older queen placed one paw on her tail. "You have to be clean," the brown tabby meowed. "Hailstar said you might have your apprentice ceremony today!" Lilykit grumbled, but held still for Owlfeather to groom the last bits of dirt out of her fur. "There," the queen said. "All clean!" The tortoiseshell kit finally pulled herself free from her foster mother's grip. Looking down in disgust at her perfectly-groomed pelt, she rolled her eyes. Then, with a sly smile, she threw herself down into the dirt and rolled around, gleefully coating her pelt with filth. _Warriors don't care about getting dirty,_ she thought. _So neither will I!_

E—Enthusiasm

Lilykit sat, wiggling eagerly, at the base of the hazel tree. Hailstar gazed proudly down at her, blue eyes shining brightly. "From this moment forward, until you have recieved your warrior name, you shall be known as Lilypaw. I will be your mentor." As the gathered warriors cheered their names, the white-flecked tom bounded down from his perch to touch noses with his new apprentice. In her eagerness, the newly-named Lilypaw ended up smashing their muzzles together. But rather than scold her, Hailstar just laughed. "You have a lot of enthusiasm, kit," he purred. "You'll make a fine warrior one day."

F—Fighting

"Lilypaw, fighting isn't the most important part of Clan life," Hailstar explained, a crease appearing in his brow. "A good warrior doesn't pride themself on their fighting skill alone..." The tortoiseshell rolled her eyes and sighed as her mentor went on to explain the importances of other parts of Clan life. But she wasn't really listening. As far as she was concerned, the sooner that she learned how to defend her Clan, the better. So for now, she just pretended to listen and waited eagerly for the day they would start battle training.

G—Great

"Great job, Lilypaw!" Whitepaw, the youngest apprentice, was grinning from ear to ear. His gaze settled on the plump mouse that lay at her paws. "I wish I were as good at everything as you are," he said, a tiny tinge of jealousy in his voice. Lilypaw just shrugged. It had been a lucky catch; she'd just barely caught it by the tips of her claws. But she was quite proud of herself anyways; mice were rare finds in ShadowClan territory. A mouse on the fresh-kill pile was sure to gain attention for the one who caught it. As she toted the mouse to the center of camp, feeling everyone's gaze on her, she allowed herself a small smile. When Hailstar heard about her catch, he was sure to be impressed—in her mind, bringing her one pawstep closer to becoming the best warrior in the Clan.

H—Hurt

Lilypaw sat perfectly still, eyes squeezed shut against the pain that emanated from the deep scratch in her shoulder—the result of a too-rough sparring session with Redpaw. Robincall continued to plaster the marigold poultice to the gouge, and a fresh wave of pain lanced through her. But she ground her teeth and didn't make a sound. Lilypaw continued to bite back her pain, despite how badly she wanted to let it all out in one yowl. After all, real warriors didn't make a fuss when they got hurt. And what kind of warrior would she be if she complained about a little scratch?

I—Irritating

Why did toms have to be so irritating? This morning, she'd had Whitepaw following her everywhere like a little lost kit; fetching her fresh-kill, asking if she would like to go on patrol with him, and even offering to change her bedding for her. And if that weren't enough, she'd had Redpaw teasing her all day and bragging about how he was so much better than she was. Lilypaw just rolled her eyes and padded into her den for a short nap. If all toms were this annoying, she wasn't sure she'd ever want a mate.

J—Joking

"Lilypaw, I was just joking!" Redpaw raced after her, amber eyes wide and brimming with regret. "I'm sorry! I didn't think—" But Lilypaw ignored him and kept running. So sticking moss around her neck in the shape of a kittypet collar while she was asleep was Redpaw's sick idea of a joke? She snorted, ears flattening. What a snake-heart! So she kept running, fury pressing her onwards as the russet-colored tom's cries faded into the distance.

K—Kittypet

_Kittypet._ What a vile word. Lilypaw mulled it over as she sat beneath the roots of the huge tree, hurt and fury still burning in her yellow eyes. Kittypets were cowards—clinging to their Twolegs like burrs, exchanging their freedom and dignity for a warm bed and daily meals. They didn't know what it was like to feel the wind in their fur, to have the satisfaction of putting their own efforts into feeding themselves each day. And above all, kittypets did not know loyalty. Lilypaw stood, ready to head back to camp and face Redpaw herself. Because she was no kittypet—she was a proud member of ShadowClan. And there was nothing that would ever change that.

L—Lost

It was starting to get dark out. And Lilypaw still hadn't reached camp. An owl hooted loudly overhead, and she jumped. Perhaps she should have payed attention to where she was going when she was running—the trees around her didn't look familiar at all. The bushes rustled ominously around her, and she was starting to get the feeling that she was being watched. Lilypaw shivered. Though she hated admitting it, she was starting to get scared. As she trudged on through the dim forest, only one thing was on her mind: she was completely and utterly lost.

M—Mousebrain

When Redpaw ran out of the bushes in front of her, she nearly jumped out of her pelt. After she recognized him, her teeth bared in a snarl, and she unsheathed her claws. But she stopped dead at the look of relief and remorse on his face. She listened as he explained that when she hadn't come back to camp, he'd spent the entire day looking for her. "I'm sorry for what I did," he mumbled, gaze fixed on his paws. "Can you forgive me?" When she didn't answer, he looked up...only to receive a clod of dirt to the face. "That was for being a mousebrain," Lilypaw growled, though her eyes glittered with amusement. "Now can you just take me back to camp?"

N—New

_That's new,_ she mused as Redpaw dipped his head to her as he passed. Redpaw had been acting differently lately; he'd been spending a lot more time with her, and Lilypaw hadn't heard him brag about himself once. Ever since the kittypet incident, it even seemed like he was going out of his way to be nice to her. To her shock, she almost found herself missing the old Redpaw who teased her about everything and constantly glorified himself. But as she caught his gaze from the other side of camp, she smiled to herself. Who said the new Redpaw was all bad, either?

O—Older

Yellowstripe padded into camp, shaking out his pelt. As he glanced over his shoulder, he could already pick out several gray hairs. The tabby sighed. He was another day closer to the elder's den. A meow suddenly sounded from across the clearing, breaking him from his thoughts; he looked up to see Lilypaw, yellow eyes shining, as she trotted across the camp to say hello. He smiled back down at his daughter and licked her between the ears. As they chatted idly, a sudden pang went through him. _I'm getting older,_ he realized. Another yowl broke through their conversation. Hailstar was calling him for another patrol. And as Yellowstripe walked away, he glanced back at Lilypaw, wondering how much time he had left with his dear daughter.

P—Proud

"You've grown into a fine young cat, Lilypaw," Yellowstripe told her, smiling gently. Lilypaw just rolled her eyes. But it was true. She'd been an apprentice for almost twelve moons now. Her once-fluffy fur had become sleek and thick. Her clumsy, cubby figure had been replaced by a cat who, though still a little on the stocky side, had become more muscular and filled out her shape. Lilypaw was almost the big, strong warrior she'd promised herself she would be. As her father was called away, Yellowstripe leaned down to whisper in one ear. "I'm very proud of you, my daughter."

Q—Quiet

This was supposed to have been an ordinary border patrol—Hailstar had taken Lilypaw, Yellowstripe, and Firewhisker, a younger warrior, out to check the RiverClan border. Nothing special. But now, the four cats were standing tall, facing the sneering RiverClan battle patrol with arched backs, bristling fur, and unsheathed claws. Everything was totally quiet—not a single sound was heard. Then, as invaders and defenders alike let out furious battle cries, the silence shattered, and the forest was filled with the sounds of battle.

R—Run

Lilypaw skimmed across the marshy earth, gasping for air as she pelted towards her camp. Once the battle had begun, the ShadowClan warriors had fought valiantly. But it was all too clear that the RiverClan warriors had their patrol outnumbered. When Hailstar had ordered her to go back to camp for help, she had protested. Both her father and mentor were on the patrol; she wanted to protect them. But when more RiverClan warriors poured from nowhere, she did as she was told. There was no way a pawful of warriors could hold back half of RiverClan. And so she ran faster than she had ever run in her life, praying to StarClan that she wouldn't be too late.

S—Save

"Where is your honor, Snakestar?" Hailstar snarled as he exchanged blows with RiverClan's leader."Your greed for territory has gone far enough!" The white-flecked gray tom hurled himself into Snakestar's face, blue eyes hard as flint. "You will not have our land!" Snakestar dodged the blow and lashed out with one strong forepaw. Pain seared through Hailstar's neck as the big brown tom pinned him to the forest floor, followed closely by horror-Snakestar was going to _kill_ him! But as Snakestar bared his teeth to sink them into his throat, a golden blur shot from nowhere, snarling in rage and shoving the RiverClan cat away. As Hailstar dragged himself to his paws, he had just enough time to realize that Yellowstripe had just saved his life.

T—Thrill

Lilypaw raced down the slope, yowling her defiance with the rest of ShadowClan as they plunged into battle. The apprentice wasted no time in sinking her claws into the pelt of a cat about the same age as her. With a few well-placed blows, she sent him squealing into the bushes. Spinning to find another opponent, she found herself grinning. _This_ was what she'd dreamed of for moons: charging into battle alongside her Clanmates, fighting side-by-side with Redpaw and her father to protect her Clan. Smirking at the RiverClan warriors, she leaped back into the fray, the thrill of battle driving her on.

U—Unmoving

"_No!"_ Lilypaw buried her muzzle in her father's golden pelt, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Yellowstripe was lying limp on the grass, his pelt matted and bloodstained and his eyes closed. _"No, no, no!"_ A circle of battered warriors stood around her, watching the scene with stricken gazes. Hailstar stood beside Lilypaw, his blue eyes dulled with grief. "I'm so sorry, Lilypaw," he rasped. "Your father died the death of a true warrior." But the tortoiseshell apprentice didn't hear him. She remained there, face buried in Yellowstripe's fur as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that her father would never move again.

V—Victory

ShadowClan had emerged victorious from the battle; RiverClan would now think twice about trying to take their land away from them. Yet their tails drooped on the ground behind them, and their eyes were dull. Their pawsteps were heavy as they padded back into camp. Those who hadn't participated in the battle emerged, eager to welcome back the winning warriors. But pride turned slowly to shock and confusion when they saw the looks of desolation on the returning cats. Cries of grief went up when Hailstar padded into camp, bearing Yellowstripe's body across his back. Yes, ShadowClan had won, but at a terrible price.

W—Warrior

"Lilypaw," Hailstar began. Scratches still covered his pelt, but a proud light shone in his eyes as he looked down at her. "From this moment forward, you shall be known as Lilythorn. StarClan honors your bravery and your spirit, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan." Yowls went up around the camp as ShadowClan cheered her new name. Lilythorn held her head high as the other warriors howled her name. But though she smiled, everycat could plainly see the sadness in her eyes. _You should have been here, father,_ she thought mournfully. _Being a warrior isn't the same without you._

X—Xanthous

Lilythorn watched the bright yellow bumblebee buzz its way across the flower. She sighed. The color reminded her of her father's golden, striped pelt. She could still picture his warm amber gaze, how he would smile whenever she talked to him...how his loyalty to his Clan never wavered, even in the face of his own death. Lilythorn smiled to herself. Yellowstripe would want her to be up and about, helping her Clan; not spending her time moping around. As she stood, making her way over to where Hailstar was gathering patrols, she swore she heard a voice on the wind: _"I'll always be here for you, Lilythorn."_

Y—Yes

Moons had passed. Lilythorn waited with her Clan beneath the Highbranch. Jaytail, the old deputy, had retired, and now Hailstar was preparing to name his successor. Finally, the gray tom lifted his head and declared, "Your new deputy will be Redblaze!" The russet-colored tom stood, eyes huge in shock. As his amber gaze swept the clearing, she could see the apprehension in his gaze. But as his eyes met hers, she gave him a tiny nod. _Just say yes. _Redblaze lifted his head. "I accept the position of deputy!" he yowled. The ShadowClanners cheered, and Lilythorn smiled. Redblaze was a good cat, despite his flaws. He would make a fine leader one day.

Z—Zenith

The full moon hung at its peak in the sky. Lilythorn stood beside Redblaze—no, _Redstar_ now. Hailstar had lost his final life protecting the nursery from a fox. This would be Redstar's first Gathering as leader of ShadowClan. As she stood in the bushes on the lakeshore, she could see the anxiety in the russet tom's eyes. He turned to look at Lilythorn—and received a clod of dirt in the face. Lilythorn was grinning like a kit. "Come on, mousebrain," she purred, shouldering him. "Let's show them how great of a leader you can be." Redstar smiled. Then the two friends padded out of the bushes, leading their Clan to the island together.


End file.
